03 Dec 15. US needs 100 bombers, says air force secretary. The US Air Force (USAF) requires around 100 new long range strike-bombers (LRS-B), a top executive observed weeks after the country put a freeze on the development of the jets.
Speaking in Washington, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said: “We’re looking to buy about 100, 80 to 100 but probably closer to the 100 mark.”
Northrop Grumman was selected in October to build the LRS-B at a cost of more than $500m per aircraft.
However, the programme was halted in November after Northrop’s competitors, a consortium of Lockheed Martin and Boeing, complained to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) against the selection.
The heavy-payload stealth aircraft will be capable of carrying thermonuclear weapons. It is expected to be inducted into the USAF in the 2020s.
James said that the air force is operating with aging equipment.
The air force is the smallest it has been since it was established in 1947 but the busiest it has ever been.
For fiscal year 2017, the Department of Defense is budgeted for $17bn less than requested, she added.
In November, the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies said that 100 LRS-B is a minimal starting point to meet future national security requirements.
The institute’s report, US Bomber Force: Sized to Sustain An Asymmetric Advantage for America, estimates the acquisition requirement to be between 150 and 200 combat coded aircraft.
(Source: airforce-technology.com)
16 Nov 15. UAE denies potential V-22 purchase. At the Dubai Air Show, UAE officials have reportedly maintained that the country is not undertaking talks for the purchase of V-22 aircraft, despite statements to the contrary from Bell Boeing who have said that both parties are still discussing a potential sale.
On the evening of Wednesday 11th during the air show, a UAE military official is quoted as saying “There are no V-22 discussions going on at this time.” Another UAE official is quoted as saying that talks for the more advanced CV-22 had taken place “two years ago. This was in the past. Right now there are no discussions. No current negotiations are happening with Bell Boeing.” Industry and US government sources say UAE officials have expressed interest in the past, but are not currently considering the V-22, reports Defense News.
However, on Tuesday 10th, Bell spokesperson Bridget Hall is quoted as saying “there are ongoing government-to-government discussions [between the US and UAE] about the V-22… as the V-22 has the unique capability to fulfill missions other platforms cannot.” (Source: MPI – Hawk Information)
01 Dec 15. Venezuela yet to start negotiations for Su-30s. Russia’s Ambassador to Venezuela said Caracas has yet to initiate talks with Moscow to buy 12 more Su-30s. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced in September that he will order 12 more jets from Russia.
It is not clear as to how much Venezuela is willing to spend on the new aircraft. The Venezuelan government has committed to a USD480m upgrade programme for existing Sukhoi combat aircraft.
Russian media noted that Moscow’s military cooperation with Latin American nations, has increased since 2014 with deals on high-tech arms sales and the construction of naval facilities. (Source: MPI – Hawk Information)
02 Dec 15. Germany opts for MFF programme over existing A310. Germany will reportedly be joining the Multinational MRTT Fleet (MFF) rather than pursuing upgrades or modernisation of its existing Airbus A310 tanker fleet. Speaking at the Military Airlift and Rapid Reaction Operations Conference on 1 December, Germany Air Force Colonel Ludger Bette reportedly said “Germany has decided it has to stop any investment in the ageing A310 fleet.”
“Germany is currently an observer [of the MFF programme] as of April this year, and we are planning to sign the MoU [Memorandum of Understanding] and contract in the second quarter of next year, with the option to procure three aircraft,